Comstock's magazine 1117 - November 2017 | Page 20

n OPINION
SEE SACRAMENTO’S RIVER DISTRICT AS
A PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK
by Patty Kleinknecht
B
usiness leaders in the River District want Sacramento
businesses, investors and city officials to take a second
look at this long-time commercial area that at one time
was focused on the outward movement of goods via rail and
water. It is now time to create an inward movement, attracting
business and talent to the area’s historic, authentic environ-
ment, which is ideally positioned to feed 21st century jobs
and industry.
The district comprises 830 acres located at the conflu-
ence of the Sacramento and American rivers and serves as the
northern entry to Sacramento’s central city. With the historic
brick buildings featured along
the North 16th Street corridor,
it has the potential to become
a desirable workplace for the
next generation.
As part of the “North 16
Street Business Strategy” pre-
pared for the City of Sacramento
by revitalization consultant Rod
Stevens, of the business strategy
firm Business Street, members
of the River District community
had the opportunity to dig deep into the district to identify the
features that set us apart from other areas in the region:
• We have an inventory of historic brick buildings that provide
the authenticity the next-generation workforce seeks to grow
their business. Not every business fits the attitude of a typi-
cal office building. The new, tech-savvy worker is mobile and
does not need pricey, premium office space. They seek space
that has character, is inexpensive, flexible and adaptable to
allow for computers or high-tech production equipment as
their needs dictate.
• Nearby housing offers the option for employees to work
near where they live, with those homes situated in a highly-
desired metropolitan setting. With Township Nine and Twin
Rivers developing homes in the River District, we can offer a
place to work and live within a short bike ride to recreation,
restaurants, entertainment, other businesses and the Cali-
fornia State Capitol.
• To find an urban lifestyle with a vibe, one needs to look
no further than Sacramento Pipeworks, the most recog-
nized climbing gym in the area; Vintage Monkey, the only
motorcycle-themed lounge in the area with mechanics
on staff; and the proposed Pintworks microbrewery as
proof that new and interesting things are happening at the
River District.
As a new generation of talent flocks to urban locations
across the country, major employers and innovative startups
want to base their operations
near those urban centers. Busi-
ness and industry are seeing
an urban renaissance as a tal-
ented workforce seeks to locate
their creative, technical and
production operations in close
proximity to their homes and
near the attributes they find
desirable: brew pubs, climb-
ing gyms, trendy restaurants
and nightlife.
How will those urban denizens merge with the machine
shops, printers, distribution centers and others that now call
the River District home? The union of the two lifestyles should
work well as the mixture of old industry and new is what makes
the area attractive as an incubator for future industry. The
area may be particularly well-suited for artisanal production
of specialty foods, fashion and furnishings that are made and
sold locally; marketing and design firms that thrive in non-tra-
ditional space; and the new businesses that will likely include
software, agricultural technology, high-tech engineering and
the fabrication of products yet to be conceived.
As we imagine the future, we recognize the obstacles. Per-
haps most notably in the River District is the high concentration
of social services. Sacramento City, County and business lead-
ers should seek to decentralize social services, both to reduce
“How will those urban denizens commingle
with the machine shops, printers,
distribution centers and others that now
call the River District home? The union of
the two lifestyles should work well.”
20
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